Seokguram (Korean: 석굴암; Hanja: 石窟庵) is a hermitage and part of the Bulguksa temple complex in Gyeongju, South Korea.

[2][citation needed] The Seokguram Grotto is said to have been built by Kim Daeseong and originally called Seokbulsa (석불사; lit.

[3] The geology of the Korean Peninsula, which contains an abundance of hard granite, is not conducive to carving stone images into cliff walls.

[citation needed] Silla architects used symmetry and apparently employed the concept of the golden rectangle.

The pedestal is made of three parts; the top and bottom are carved with lotus petals while the central shaft consists of eight pillars.

Accompanying the main Buddha, in relief, are three bodhisattvas, ten disciples, and two Hindu gods along the wall of the rotunda.

The Avalokitesvara wears a crown, is dressed in robes and jewelry and holds a vase containing a lotus blossom.

Because of the long periods of abandonment and numerous renovations, many details are disputed amongst scholars, such as the exact layout of the original grotto, the buildings in Bulguksa or the shape of the watercourse, which no longer exists, in front of the temple.

A major mistake committed by the Japanese was their attempt to stabilize the structure by encasement in concrete, which was yet, the most advanced technology at the time.

This resulted in humidity buildup and in water leaks, and caused erosion of the sculptures because the grotto could no longer "breathe".

[13] After World War II, in the 1960s, President Park Chung Hee ordered a major restoration project.

The wooden superstructure built over the antechamber remains a subject for debate for many historians who believe Seokguram originally did not have such a structure blocking the view of the sunrise over the ocean, and cutting off the air flow into the grotto.

[13] The interior of the grotto can now only be viewed through a glass wall, installed to protect it from the many tourists it attracts, as well as temperature change.